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Jan 15, 2025 | 
blog.independent.org | Lawrence J. McQuillan
In a disturbing number of incidents in recent years, local governments have withheld critical services, resulting in destruction and death. Consider, for example, the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. Law enforcement officers waited for 77 minutes inside Robb Elementary School before confronting and killing the active shooter who murdered 21 people—19 children and two teachers—and trapped 36 people in a room, many of whom were shot and dying.
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Nov 7, 2024 | 
dailynews.com | Lawrence J. McQuillan
FILE – Burned cars and propane tanks with markings on them sit outside a house destroyed by wildfire, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community.
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Nov 7, 2024 | 
ocregister.com | Lawrence J. McQuillan
We libertarians need to redouble our efforts for freedom
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Nov 7, 2024 | 
sandiegouniontribune.com | Lawrence J. McQuillan
A new government report on the origins of Hawaii’s Lahaina wildfire shows that the deadly blaze could have been prevented by consistent actions to reduce fire risks. The facts surrounding the tragedy hold lessons for other Western states. A red-flag warning was issued at 3:17 a.m. on August 8, 2023, due to strong winds that would later become “extreme” that fateful day.
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Sep 17, 2024 | 
independent.org | Lawrence J. McQuillan |Kristian R. Fors
Land in its natural state is not owned by anyone, argued John Locke in Two Treatises of Government, but after land is transformed by an individuals labor, that person earns a right to own the land and any improvements. In the mid-1800s, the U.S. government put Lockes property-rights theory into practice with the Homestead Act. Russia replicated the act in recent years. Today, America needs a modern version to create new opportunities.
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Sep 16, 2024 | 
mises.org | Kristian R. Fors |Lawrence J. McQuillan
Land in its natural state is not owned by anyone, argued John Locke in Two Treatises of Government, but after land is transformed by an individual’s labor, that person earns a right to own the land and any improvements. In the mid-1800s, the U.S. government put Locke’s property-rights theory into practice with the Homestead Act. Russia replicated the act in recent years. Today, America needs a modern version to create new opportunities.
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Jul 26, 2024 | 
blog.independent.org | Lawrence J. McQuillan
There is a renewed effort to impose a wealth tax on Americans. Several bills in Congress would tax and redistribute wealth supposedly to benefit the poor and “ensure the wealthy pay their fair share,” in the words of President Joe Biden. Biden and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) have offered the most widely discussed proposals for taxing wealth.
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Jun 25, 2024 | 
news.bloombergtax.com | Lawrence J. McQuillan
There is a renewed effort to impose a wealth tax on Americans. Several bills in Congress would tax and redistribute wealth supposedly to benefit the poor and “ensure the wealthy pay their fair share,” in the words of President Joe Biden. The plans hold strong appeal among some politicians who prefer to ignore basic economic realities. What Is Wealth?
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Jun 25, 2024 | 
independent.org | Lawrence J. McQuillan
PDF 4 pages, 266 KB There is a renewed effort to impose a wealth tax on Americans. Several bills in Congress would tax and redistribute wealth supposedly to benefit the poor and ensure the wealthy pay their fair share, in the words of President Joe Biden. The plans hold strong appeal among some politicians who prefer to ignore basic economic realities.
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Jun 25, 2024 | 
independent.org | Lawrence J. McQuillan
PDF 4 pages, 266 KB This Research Article highlights key arguments against a proposed wealth tax. Besides being unconstitutional, wealth taxes discourage long-term investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
